1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic changing system for a cassette-type medium, and more particularly to a cassette carriage for use in an automatic changer for video tape cassettes, in which the changer utilizes a plurality of video cassettes and a plurality of video cassette recorders (VCRs). This type of automatic changer is especially useful for extended duration video recording and/or replay, such as is used in the television broadcasting field.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art of this field is described, by way of example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,682 (issued Mar. 15, 1988), which is assigned to the same assignee of this application. This patent shows that a cassette carriage may be provided between a VCR and cassette bins in order to transfer a video cassette from one of the bins to the VCR or vice versa.
However, this type of cassette changer requires a specially manufactured VCR which has openings for cassette insertion in its side panels, while maintaining the placement of the operation switches on the front panels. Because of the limited use for these specially made side loading machines, they cost much more than standard machines. Therefore, an automatic changing system is desired which may use general purpose VCRs having loading slots located on the same panel as the operation switches.
An additional problem also noted with this prior art is that, since only a single block of cassette bins is provided, the total storage capacity of the system is limited.
The assignee herein is also the applicant for a Japanese application, No. 61-80885, filed on Apr. 8, 1986, which has been published (on Oct. 20, 1987) as laid open patent 62-239372. In this Japanese patent application, side loading VCRs are also used with an automatic changer. To increase the storage capacity in this system, two blocks of cassette bins are provided, between which a cassette carriage, used for transferring cassettes, is movable. However, this prior art device includes a cassette rotating system for rotating a cassette 90.degree., in order to change the cassette orientation with respect to the side loading slot used in ordinary purpose VCRs. This cassette rotating system is very complex and is costly to manufacture and maintain.